Postdoktor i multifunksjonalitet i graslandskap

UiB - Knowledge that shapes society

UiB shall be among Europe's leading universities, internationally recognized for high quality in research and education. As a societal institution, we shall contribute to sustainable and democratic development and be an attractive and inclusive place to study and work.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow position

At the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, there is a vacancy for a postdoctoral research fellow position within the field of landscape multifunctionality. The position is for a fixed-term period of 3 years. The position is affiliated with the Horizon project GrassConnect funded by the European Commission.

About the project/work tasks:

As a postdoc within a large international and interdisciplinary team you will use spatial modelling techniques to investigate the impact of grassland management practices on the ecosystem service multifunctionality of European agricultural landscapes. This will require the establishment of a spatially explicit farm-scale multifunctionality model and the parameterisation of this using a combination of open remote sensing data, ecological plot-level data and social science data from European agricultural landscapes, including the Multi-Actor Grassland Hubs (MagHubs) of the GrassConnect consortium project. The impact of a range of management practices on biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services, and the corresponding impact of these changes on grassland stakeholders, will then be investigated in simulations.

The end-product will be detailed knowledge on how different management practices affect grassland multifunctionality and the identification of strategies that promote sustainable production and multifunctionality in European agricultural landscapes. By actively involving farmers and other relevant stakeholders throughout the research process we also aim to increase the relevance and adoption of the solutions identified.

The work will also provide opportunities to develop fundamental understanding of the drivers of landscape multifunctionality, e.g. theory development. The postdoc will be supported by the lab group of Prof. Peter Manning, the Terrestrial Ecology group of UiB and the GrassConnect consortium.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree (PhD) within ecology, geospatial analysis, ecosystem services, agronomy or another relevant field, or must have submitted his/her doctoral thesis for assessment prior to the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the PhD has been awarded.
• Experience and understanding in advanced statistical analysis and/or spatial analysis is a requirement.
• Experience in using relevant software to perform complex tasks, e.g. R, ArcGIS, and Python is a requirement
• Experience in the mapping and modelling of ecosystem services is an advantage
• Knowledge and understanding of European farming systems and/or the ecosystem services of agricultural landscapes is an advantage
• Experience of interdisciplinary research spanning ecology, social science and agronomy is an advantage
• The capacity to produce work of a high academic standard for publication in leading scientific journals, as evidenced by existing publications and/or via demonstration of written and technical skills (e.g. in analysis and figure creation), is a requirement
• Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and be able to collaborate successfully with others within an interdisciplinary and pan-European team.
• Applicants must have good written and oral English skills.

Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Research experience, ambitions and potential will also count when evaluating the candidates.

Special requirements for the position

The University of Bergen is subjected to the regulation for export control system. The regulation will be applied in the processing of the applications.

About the position of postdoctoral research fellow:

The postdoctoral position is a fixed term position with the primary objective of qualifying the appointee for work in top academic positions. Candidates who lack teaching experience and/or other qualifying competencies will be given the opportunity to undertake qualifying work, either during the fixed-term appointment period or through a possible extension of the appointment period (up to a maximum of four years in total). The position may be extended by up to one year (maximum 4 years in total) if the appointee is granted externally financed research stays abroad. Individuals may not be hired for more than one fixed-term period as a postdoctoral research fellow at the same institution.

For postdoctoral research fellow positions associated with externally financed projects, the completion of the project proposal for the qualifying work, as well as a progress plan, will be developed in cooperation with the supervisor and head of department. It is a requirement that the project is completed within the course of the period of employment.

We can offer:

• a good and professionally stimulating working environment
• enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• position as postdoctoral fellow (code 1352 in the basic collective agreement) and a gross annual salary of NOK 685 900 upon appointment. Further increases in salary are made according to length of service in the position. A higher salary may be considered for a particularly well-qualified applicant.
• good welfare benefits

Your application must include:

• a brief account of the applicant's research interests and motivation for applying for the position.
• a detailed justification of your qualifications in relation to the listed requirements, explaining how you meet each criterion. Additionally, you should address the "advantages" mentioned above, as these will be taken into account when ranking the candidates.
• the names and contact information for two referees. One of these should be the main advisor from the PhD programme.
• CV
• transcripts and diplomas. If you have not yet completed your PhD degree, please submit a statement from your institution confirming that the thesis has been submitted.
• relevant certificates/references
• list of any works of a scientific nature (publication list with links)

The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge

General information:

For further details about the position, please contact: Peter Manning, Professor of Global Change Ecology, University of Bergen, peter.manning@uib.no or Sophie O’Brien, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Bergen Sophie.Adelaide.Obrien@uib.no

For HR related questions contact HR Adviser Magnus Skogstad, magnus.skogstad@uib.no

Diversity is a strength that enables us to solve our tasks even better. UiB therefore needs qualified employees regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, worldview, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and age.

We encourage men to apply. If multiple applicants have approximately equivalent qualifications, the rules pertaining to moderate gender quotas shall apply.

The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

We encourage applicants with disabilities, immigrant backgrounds, or gaps in their CV to apply. By indicating such circumstances in your application, you may receive favourable consideration. We ensure that at least one qualified applicant from each of these groups is invited for an interview as part of our commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity.Further information about our employment process can be found here.

About The University of Bergen (UiB)

The University of Bergen is a renowned educational and research institution, organised into seven faculties and approximately 54 institutes and academic centres. Campus is located in the centre of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad.

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